Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to climate control systems, and more specifically, to operational schemes for climate controlled seats, beds or the like.
Description of the Related Art
Temperature modified air for environmental control of living or working space is typically provided to relatively extensive areas, such as entire buildings, selected offices, or suites of rooms within a building. In the case of vehicles, such as automobiles, the entire vehicle is typically cooled or heated as a unit. There are many situations, however, in which more selective or restrictive air temperature modification is desirable. For example, it is often desirable to provide an individualized climate control for an occupant seat so that substantially instantaneous heating or cooling can be achieved. For example, an automotive vehicle exposed to the summer weather, where the vehicle has been parked in an unshaded area for a long period of time, can cause the vehicle seat to be very hot and uncomfortable for the occupant for some time after entering and using the vehicle, even with normal air conditioning. Furthermore, even with normal air-conditioning, on a hot day, the seat occupant's back and other pressure points may remain sweaty while seated. In the winter time, it is highly desirable to have the ability to quickly warm the seat of the occupant to facilitate the occupant's comfort, especially where the normal vehicle heater is unlikely to warm the vehicle's interior as quickly.
For such reasons, there exist various types of individualized climate control systems for seats, beds and other similar assemblies. Such climate control systems typically include a blower which distributes ambient air or other fluid past air conditioning devices (e.g., TEDs). The conditioned air can then be delivered to certain desired locations of the seat, bed or other assembly. In order to reduce energy consumption while still maintaining user comfort, it is desirable to operate the climate control system according to one or more control schemes.